1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the waterproofing of quarried materials as they are sawn into useful shapes, and, more especially, to such waterproofing of quarried materials utilizing a silicone emulsion.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Currently, it is required that building materials be effectively waterproofed, in particular those materials whose surfaces are destined to be partly or wholly exposed to inclement weather. Indeed, the action of rainwater combined with the various chemical agents associated with atmospheric pollution is the cause of several types of damage to such materials.
Among these types of damage, the best known are the following:
(i) wet stains; PA1 (ii) efflorescence of inorganic salts; PA1 (iii) penetration of water within the material, freezing of this water and erosion of the material by fragmentation; PA1 (iv) the growth of moss; PA1 (v) soiling; and PA1 (vi) chemical corrosion.
Silicone emulsions have long been successfully used for waterproofing various materials employed in the building industry, such as concrete, plaster, timber, bricks, terracotta tiles, and the like. The emulsion is typically either applied to the surface of such materials or, when possible, it is introduced into the bulk mass of the material during the manufacture thereof as, for example, in the case of concrete.
It is also well known, however, that it is difficult to accomplish effective waterproofing of natural stone building materials originating from quarries and shaped by a sawing operation, such as ashlars, slate, stone slabs for paving or external facing lining, marble blocks and slabs, and the like.
Suitable waterproofing of these particular stone materials is not accomplished using a silicone emulsion, even when large amounts of silicones are deposited per unit of surface area.